While True Polymorphed, say into a dragon, can you get pregnant? If so, what happens when you revert form? I am a player in a D&D game that wants to know.
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3related: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/97594/what-options-do-i-have-for-changing-my-sex/97595#97595 – Szega Aug 28 '17 at 18:19
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A precedent exists for the answer to possibly be 'yes', but this is still very much a case-by-case/DM's choice basis.
The entry on half-dragons in the Monster Manual cites that they come from (in some cases) a coupling between a dragon polymorphed into another form and another creature (presumably one compatible with the polymorphed form). This would imply that, for dragons at least, pregnancy is a possibility and results in a hybrid between their true form and the form of the partner.
It does not delve into the topic of what that pregnancy is like as it shifts between forms, however, so that's up to your DM if you wish to broach that topic with them.
CTWind
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6Aren't half-dragons always dracopaternal? That was the case in older editions, at least. – Weckar E. Aug 30 '17 at 08:56
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2@WeckarE. From what I can tell, the 5e MM doesn't go into it, nor does it use any language that would suggest one way or the other that the dragon could only be the mother/father. Though, logistically, I could understand that being the case. :-P – CTWind Aug 30 '17 at 16:29
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Many dragons are capable of changing shape innately, which is likely where half-dragons come from. This is an entirely different ability than True Polymorph. – Ettina Kitten Apr 03 '20 at 02:17
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@EttinaKitten I disagree that it's entirely different- the description for 5e dragons' Change Shape ability refers to the means by which they change as 'magically polymorph'ing themselves, implying the nature of the transformation is similar to how polymorph transforms a creature to me even if they aren't directly using the spell. – CTWind Apr 03 '20 at 02:37
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@CTWind "magically polymorphing" doesn't imply it's anything like the spell. If it was intended to be like the spell, it would explicitly say "as the spell true polymorph". – Ettina Kitten Apr 03 '20 at 14:25
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@EttinaKitten I'm not aware of 'polymorph' being used generically, so I don't think that's true. Yes, it's not duplicating/casting the spell directly- they would use more specific language in that case- but you won't convince me that a creature 'magically polymorphing' itself is a transformation whose nature is entirely different than being polymorphed. – CTWind Apr 03 '20 at 14:41
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@CTWind If you're going to insist that a creature "magically polymorphing" is equivalent to a spell, why pick True Polymorph? Why not Polymorph instead? On what basis are you picking which "random spell that shares a word with this ability" to equate them to? – Ettina Kitten Apr 03 '20 at 15:25
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@EttinaKitten I'm saying that, to me, polymorph, true polymorph, and mass polymorph all are a family of similar magical transformations, as are any transformations that refer to polymorphing by name. As such, there's a precedent for dragon-and-polymorph-based transformations to support pregnancy in half-dragons. That's all. – CTWind Apr 03 '20 at 15:42
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Only your DM knows
The rules of D&D 5e do not cover pregnancy. It is a story element, not a game mechanic. As such, it is entirely decided by each DM.
Do dragons even "get pregnant" in your DM's world? The Monster Manual mentions eggs, but are they laid fertilized, or is that done afterwards? Do dragons even have 2 sexes? We can safely say that they don't follow our world's rules of physics, why would they follow its biological trends?
Without input from your DM, we can't even have a useful discussion about how pregnancy interacts with various spells. This isn't even just the case with dragons. How does interracial mating between different humanoids work in your DM's world? We don't know.
You'll have to ask your DM.
Derek Stucki
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22"The rules of D&D 5e do not cover pregnancy." That may be my new favorite sentence – Stevoisiak Aug 29 '17 at 13:12
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If there is a mention of the occurrence in any literature that is core, then it sets the stage to argue for the possibility with your DM. You should be able to keep it in the story and have your DM roll up specs for duration, gestation, and complications via chance modifiers, based on assumptions and preferences, unless you are just leaving it a backstory element to explain a hybrid PC who is easily more functionally creatable by listing balanced abilities that he/she would agree to allow them to have. Wouldn't bring it to a convention without a ton of research and the precedence citation (such as the entry on Half-Dragons) but in personal home games it should be totally fine.
